6 Hays County residents die of COVID-19, 199 new cases tallied Monday

The Hays County Local Health Department recorded six COVID-19-related fatalities, 876 recoveries from the disease, 199 new lab-confirmed cases, 22 hospital discharges and 19 hospitalizations in its first report following the winter storm. 

The six county residents who died were a San Marcos man in his 90s; a Buda woman in her 80s; a Kyle woman in her 70s; a Buda woman in her 60s; a Kyle man in his 60s; and a Kyle man in his 40s. The county’s COVID-19 death toll is now at 208. 

The county’s data reported Monday included information since Feb. 13. Hays County currently has 714 active cases — 683 fewer than reported in Feb. 12’s report — and there have been 16,036 total cases. The county has tallied 1,480 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 1,771 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Feb. 22, 2021.

Twenty-eight county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 724 total hospitalizations following the fluctuation between hospitalizations and hospital discharges reported on Friday. Some patients hospitalized by COVID-19 are in hospitals outside of Hays County but are included in the county’s numbers if they reside within Hays County, the local health department said. 

There have now been 15,114 county residents who have recovered from the coronavirus with the 876 recoveries recorded Monday. 

The local health department has received 119,060 negative tests and there have been 135,096 tests administered in Hays County. 

San Marcos currently has 199 active cases — a 173-case decrease since Feb. 12 — and there have been 5,727 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 5,214 total cases, including 253 active cases. Buda has tallied 2,815 total cases and currently has 130 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 735 total cases and has 37 active cases. Wimberley has counted 630 total cases, including 38 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 33 active cases and has had 473 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 199 total cases and has seven active cases. Niederwald has had 88 total cases and has one active case. Maxwell has had 48 total cases and has nine active cases. Mountain City has amassed 39 cases and two active cases. Uhland has had 28 total cases. Manchaca has recorded 23 total cases and has four active cases.

Woodcreek has one active case and has tallied seven total. Bear Creek has amassed four total cases. Creedmoor has had three total cases. 

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 4,567 total cases tallied Monday.

According to the local health department, 2,464 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old; 2,346 are 10-19 years old; 2,170 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range; 1,627 are between 50-59 years old; 1,046 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old; and 1,010 are 9 years old or younger.

Five-hundred-fifteen who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, and 291 are 80 and older.

The local health department reported that 8,357 females and 7,679 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.1% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 33.8% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 17.2% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.5% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 26.7% are unknown or not specified, 2.7% are Black, 1% are Asian and 0.1% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported there have now been 2,251,388 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 41,407 fatalities as of Friday. There are currently 6,964 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 2,125 total coronavirus cases since March 1, 2020 — 1,905 among students and 220 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Monday.  There are currently 61 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks for most people. The disease, however, can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death, especially for older adults and people with existing health problems.